Process and apparatus for removing excess material from dipped articles



1,721,951 EXCESS y 3. 1929 L. P. GOULD PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING MATERIAL FROM DIPPED ARTICLES Flled Sept 6, 1928 Inventor:

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imately spherical bodies, or those having con- Patented July 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES I 1,721,951 PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS PROCTOR GOULD, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 MILLER. RUBBER 00., OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR REMOVING EXCESS MATERIAL FROM EIPPED ARTICLES.

Application filed September 6, 1928. Serial No. 304,360.

My said invention relates to the art of coating articles by the dipping or immersion method. In coating various articles by this method, and particularly spherical or approxveXly curved surfaces, great difliculty' has been experienced during the draining of the surplus coating and drying thereof, in preventing the formation of a drop or hardened, thickened portion on the lowest point on the surface of the article. I

This invention aims to provide a simple, economical and eflicient method of and means for preventing the formation of such drops or thickened portions, and the invention includes the novel method and means hereinafter described and defined by the appended claims.

What I at present consider a preferred or desirable form of my novel apparatus is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a vertical section with the article shown in elevation, the article being shown as a spherical one for purposes of illustration.

Referring by reference characters to this drawing, the numeral 1 designates a tray or table or shelf-like support having an opening 1 provided with a plurality of pins or projections 1 (preferably three) by which the article 2 will be held spaced from the edges of the opening, the article having been coated by dipping in the coating liquid in the customary manner by means of a pair of tongs or like tool, and the pins having their ball supporting ends so small as not to produce appreciable marks on the coated surface. 2 indicates the drop or thickened portion which tendsto form as the surplus coating liquid drains from the thus supported article. To remove and prevent theformation 0 this drop, I produce an "air suction adjacent the point of formation of the drop, which, of course, is the lowest point on the article. This I may conveniently effect by a tube 3 having preferably a slightly flared mouth 3' adjacent the point of drop formation to whichtube suction is applied. Preferably the tube communicates with a receptacle 4.- for collecting surplus drained coating, which receptacle is connected to suitable means for exhausting air' therefrom.

In the form shown, the receptacle is in the form of'a bottle supported at a convenient point beneath the table and having a stopper P in which the tube 3 is adjustably' supported wlth an air-tight fit to adapt the device to different sized balls, the stopper having another pipe or tube 5 connected to any suitable air suction device, not shown. I have found that by thus producing suction adjacent the lowest point of the article after draining, a uniformly coated article results, as the air flowing over the surface of the ball at the adjacent this point effectually removes the drop or thickened portion.

While I have, in the present drawing, illus trated a simple form of apparatus for treating a single article, it will be obvious that it could be arranged for handling a considerable number, and also that various modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The most practical and economical opera- "tion of thisdevice consists in allowing the ball to drain over the tank in which it is dipped until the liquid coating no longer drips from the ball, and to then apply the vacuum apparatus thereto to remove the last drop.

Either the vacuum device may be moved to a position beneath the ball at the time the last drop has formed, or a tray, such as 1, containing a number of balls, may be moved over the vacuum device, and the vacuum need then be applied for a few seconds only: to the balls or other articles.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: I

1. The herein described method of removing a depending drop from the surface of dipped articles, which consists in creating suction adjacent said surface at the point where the depending drop has formed.

2. The herein described method which consists in coating an article by immersion in a coating liquid, suppporting the article for draining surplus coating, and applying suction adjacent the lowermost point of said article.

3. The herein described method of coating articles having convexly curved surfaces which consists in immersing the article in a cal shape, which consists in supporting said coated bodies at isolated points, and applying suction adjacent the lowermost point of said body While the surplus coating is collecting at the bottom thereof.

5. The herein described method of removing drops or thickened portions in the coating of dipped bodies of substantially spherical shape, which consists in supporting said bodies at isolated points, and applying suction adjacent the lowermost point of said body while the surplus coating is forming thereon, and collecting the removed surplus material.

6. Apparatus for preventing the formation of hardened drops or thickened portions on articles coated by immersion, comprising means for supporting the article at points spaced from the lowermost point thereof, and means for applying suction adjacent the said lowermost point.

7. Apparatus for preventing the formation of hardened drops or thickened portions onarticles coated by immersion, comprising means for supporting the article at points spaced from the lowermost point thereof, and means for applying suction adjacent the said lowermost point, said suction means including means for collecting surplus material removed by suction from said article.

8. Apparatus for preventing the formation of hardened drops or thickened portions on dipped articles, comprising means for supporting the article at points isolated from the lowermost point thereof, a closed receptacle beneath said supporting means having a restricted inlet adjacent the lowermost point of said article when on'said support, and

means for exhausting air from said receptacle.

a closed receptacle beneath said opening, a'

pipe connected to said receptacle andhaving its upper end positioned to lie adjacent the lowest point of an article-supported by said opening, and means for applying suction to said receptacle.

11. Apparatus for the purpose described comprising an article support including a plurality of spaced projections, a receptacle located centrally below said projections, a vertical tube adjustably carried by said receptacle and communicating with the interior thereof, and means for applying suction to said receptacle. k

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

-- LOUIS PROCTOR GOULD. 

